Nervousness crept in, making my fingers tingle and my cheeks burn. “I help care for the grounds. I cook some.” I shrugged. None of my daily tasks were that impressive.
Father’s features softened as he looked at me. “Modesty is one of her many virtues. In truth, I am able to focus on my sermons without interruption because of her. She is always running my errands, making sure I eat. The candles, the cleaning, the changing of ceremonials for services.” He smiled proudly. “Even the vault benefits from her skill.” As though realizing he’d let a secret slip, Father straightened. Perhaps the single glass of spirits had packed more of a punch than I’d thought. “As you heard, we keep a collection of texts here.” Father shifted around and cleared his throat, redirecting the subject. “Phin’s well educated. Though I fear she’s seen littleof the world beyond this village. Safety has taken priority over exploration.”
“Naturally.” He turned that intense silver gaze back on me. “You were taught reading, writing and sums, yes? Perhaps it is not the same now, but I recall the celestial gardens were particularly well appointed for botanical studies. And they instructed on strategy and the basics of swordsmanship and battle, I presume?”
“Yes, that sounds right.” I was not half as strong physically as most of my classmates, and I had done poorly in my weapons classes as well as math. As a Nephilim, I’d only been invited to take the beginner levels. My parents had done what they could to make sure I kept up, but my mind had not been of nearly as much value to the Heavenly council then as my body was now.
“My favorite was animal care. In my time, they had quite a menagerie on the grounds. There were more of them than there were of us. I took quite easily to speaking with them all. I suspect my affinity for creatures is in part how I ended up with the station I did once I left.”
“That sounds nice.” I inhaled deeply, trying to ensure I spoke clearly. Not being able to increase my volume often worked against me. “I was only allowed to observe the creatures, but they were all very beautiful. I spent as much time as I could watching them.”
His smile dropped away. “You were only allowed to observe?” Tap’s tone was soft, sincere.
I nodded. “Interacting was strictly reserved for full-blooded students.”
His face scrunched up as though he’d tasted something rotten. “Well. It’s been a very long time since I was a student myself, I apologize if I let myself get carried away. Things are clearly different now than they once were. Too often, things don’t change for the better. I rarely reminisce about such ancienthistory, perhaps it’s best if I stop altogether.” I bobbed my head, a little confused by his mood swing. He continued, “I realize it’s brazen of me given our recent acquaintance, but what if I told you I could offer a solution?”
Then everything stopped, my thoughts grinding to a halt as the chiming of the bells rendered me speechless and frozen.
Chapter 6
Tap
Phin’s gaze went blank, and she sagged in her seat as the bells tolled. My own jaw ached, the same itchiness in my teeth and skull from the tone of the metal returning. I shrank into myself, shoulders hunched and thoughts unfocused, though nothing felt as intensely as when I was outside and they’d gone off during my last visit to the village.
“Isn’t that something,” Father murmured, looking between us.
I recovered once the bells stopped, but Phin sat dazed in her seat still, one hand clutched around the pendant that hung over her breastbone.
“Is she well?” I shifted so I could get to my feet quickly, worried she needed a healer. My hands itched to touch her, the bond flaring in panic for her well-being.
“It may take her a little bit to get back to herself, but she can hear us fine.” He patted her shoulder gently.
I relaxed back into my seat but was not comforted. Phin’s gaze was unfocused and distant, the violet in her eyes nearly eclipsed by the black center. Her breathing seemed shallow, and her fingers clenched and released in a consistent cadence.
“Is there something unique about the bells?” I asked.
His eyes were shifty as he glanced between us. “The bells have been here as long as the church, there’s really no telling?—”
“I thought we agreed to honesty, Father?” I reminded him.
His gaze fell to his hands on the tabletop. “There are some traditions that resist change.”
“Forged with blood then.” My voice dropped low. He was absolutely right; some things never changed, no matter how much they needed to. He gave the slightest nod. “Given freely? Some kind of dedication ceremony? A blessing?” He said nothing, but the way his cheek twitched gave me my answer. “Ah. So the blood of those injured or lost in so-called holy battle, then.” Father Morton’s head bowed and I clenched a fist. It was possible that my own blood was present in the iron, or that of my brothers. Others of our kind who had fallen while fighting Heavenly adversaries. My brother Rylan had a collection of blades forged in much the same manner in order to be more deadly to certain foes. “Who?”
“I don’t have details, only vague notes written in code from my predecessors. The translation key has been lost to time.”
I puffed out a breath, nerves on fire. Rage crept back into my veins, burning me from the inside out. “So, keeping her safe here involves a certain amount of torture?”
He winced, cheeks turning pink as he looked at Phin, who seemed to be coming around. “Unfortunately, yes. But it was never my intention to harm her.”
“You never told me about the bells,” she groused at the priest, speech slow and stilted, her quiet voice full of shock.
“You have my apologies, but there was nothing to be done about it. And in fairness, it does give a certain amount of protection. Once I realized, I moved your room to the lower level to provide more distance from the sound.” Her frown was rivaled in intensity by the hurt in her eyes. The priest blushed deeper, guilt etched into his features. “Forgive me, my child, I’vedone the best I could with the tools and resources available to me. Even if that was only a closet in the nave or a storage room in the cellar.”
I wasn’t so sure I believed that. Phin looked terribly betrayed over his choices now that a stranger was examining them with her. My demon, normally still and quiet, was riled on her behalf. My anger had gotten quite a chance to lash out today.
“What is your suggestion?” she asked, attention turned to me.
